Display device



May 19, 1959 P. HESSE ET AL 2,886,909

DISPLAY DEVICE Filed March 15, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS PAUL HESSE HELMUT IMME y 19, 1959 P. HESSE ET AL 2,886,909

DISPLAY DEVICE Filed March 1 5, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS.

PAUL HESSE HELMUT IMME ATTYS.

United States Patent Ofiice Patented May 19, 1959 DISPLAY DEVICE Paul Hesse, Frankfurt am Main, and Helmut Imme, Schweinfurt, Germany, assignors to Aktiebolaget Svenska Kullagerfabrilren, Goteborg, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Application March 15, 1955, Serial No. 494,439 Claims priority, application Germany March 19, 1954 9 Claims. (Cl. 40-10625) The present invention relates to a display device, especially for show windows and has for its purpose to provide a device which will serve to attract attention to a show window or the like for advertising purposes. The device according to the invention comprises means for causing a series of balls to pass through the field of vision of a spectator in such rapid sequence, for instance about 1000 balls per minute, as to exceed the power of dissolution of the human eye, whereby the balls will appear in ordinary light as an uninterrupted band, and means for stroboscopically illuminating the said balls.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 shows a front view of a device according to the invention with the covering removed. Fig. 2 is a section along the line II-II of Fig. l, and Fig. 3 a section along the line III-III of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on a larger scale through a feeding device for the balls. the line VV of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of a modified form of rotating ring, and Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the ring shown in Fig. 6.

Two impact plates 2 and 2a are adjustably mounted on a base plate 1. The impact surfaces of the plates 2 and 2a are concavely ground and may for example have parabolic surfaces. Between the two impact plates is mounted a ring 3 which is rotated about a vertical axle by means of a gearing 4, a phase adjusting coupling 5, bevel gears 6 and a V-belt 7 driven by an electric motor 8. The motor 8 also drives a transport band 13 through the belt 7, a shaft 9, a worm gearing 10, a shaft 11 and a V-belt 12. The transport band 13 is provided with pockets 14. The upper part of the band runs in a casing 15. The band 13 receives the balls from a pocket 17 and lifts them to a top roll 18, where it deposits them in a container 19 to which are connected pipes 20 and 21. The pipe 20 leads the balls 16 directly to the pocket 17 while those passing through the pipe 21 are fed by a feeding device to the impact plate 2. The feeding device 22 comprises three vertical guides 22a, 22b and 220 of which two are fixed and the third adjustable. The pipe 21 leads to the upper end of the guides which hold the deposited balls in a column as shown in Fig. 4. A feed wheel 22d which is driven by shaft 11 projects between the two fixed guides and serves to deliver the balls 16 at the desired intervals. The wheel has peripheral pockets, as shown, in one of which the lowermost ball of the column is supported until the wheel has turned sufficiently to release the ball. Thus, as the wheel rotates, the balls are released one at a time and at a rate determined by the speed of rotation of the wheel. Normally the balls thus released drop directly onto the plate 2, but a normally retracted flap 24 operated by a relay 23 as required, for instance when the device is to be stopped, may be extended to deflect the balls 16 through a pipe 25 to the pocket 17. At a suitable distance above the impact plates 2 and 2a is mounted a stroboscopic lamp 26, the frequency of which can be altered or governed by a suitably located stroboscopic device 27. The stroboscopic device 27 18 Fig. is a section along t preferably combined with an automatic contact timer 28 so that the apparatus can be started and the desired effects can be obtained by operating it from a single place. The apparatus is suitably screened, a window being provided in front so that the spectators see only the falling and bounding balls. An openings 29 is provided through which the balls enter the field of view and another opening 30 is provided through which the rebounding balls disappear from the view of the spectators.

After the apparatus has been started and the feed wheel 22d has released the first ball a continuous stream of balls leaves the opening 29 (about 1000 balls per minute) and the balls rebound from the plate 2 in an arc and soar through the rotating ring 3 to impact on the plate 2:! and rebound vertically upwards through the opening 30 out of the field of view of the spectators. The halls then bounce from the wall 17a of the pocket 17 and fall into the pocket from which they are restored by the band 13 to the container 19. The speed of the band is adjusted so that more balls are delivered to the container 19 than are released by the feed wheel 22d. The necessary surplus of balls is delivered to the pocket 17 through the pipe 20.

The rotating ring 3 and feed wheel 22d are driven by the same motor 8, as previously set forth, and the ring is therefore synchronized with the bouncing balls. The phase adjusting coupling 5 provides for relative angular adjustment between the gearing 4 and bevel gears 6 and makes possible the exact adjustment of the rotation of the ring 3 to correspond to the ball intervals so that the ring is properly positioned for passage of the balls. The ring 3 can be formed as a luminous ring so that other effects may be obtained, the necessary current being transmitted through slip-rings. The rotating ring 3 may be formed in other ways so that many diiferent efiects can be obtained.

In ordinary light the falling and bounding balls appear to form a continuous band which is interrupted only where the rotating ring intersects the path of the balls. When the stroboscopic light is turned on the effect is changed. According to the number of flashes of light emitted per period of time by the stroboscopic device a number of balls, for example four, may appear to be hanging immovable in space. By altering the strobosocopic frequency the number of the apparently stationary balls may be altered to for example 8 or more. It is further possible to alter the frequency of the stroboscopic device so that the balls appear to pass the spectators slowly or to reverse their apparent direction of movement or to move backwards and forwards in space.

The rotating ring 3 may also be made to appear to alter shape and may for example appear to the spectator as two intersecting rings. By combining the different possibilities provided by the apparatus according to the invention an interesting variation of efiects may be obtained. The necessary changes may be provided by the timer 28 which may be so arranged that a predetermined lengthy program may be automatically provided.

A further specific effect may be obtained by reducing the number of balls per unit of time passing to plate 2 so that the eye can follow the specific balls in normal light. The ring 30, which is rotated at great speed synchronously with the bouncing balls comprises in this case a hollow sphere from which portions have been removed to leave two or more lunes, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, whereby it appears to the eye as a complete sphere. This appearance may be enhanced by suitably treating the surface. The bouncing balls then appear to pass through a solid sphere in their path.

The above described eflYect is suitable to fill out pauses when the stroboscopic lamp for some reason or other is disconnected.

aeaaaoe In order to obtain the desired effects it is necessary to provide for'accuratecooperation between all parts of the apparatus. The quality and uniformity of the balls is especially important. For the same reasons the impact platesrnust also be of good quality and uniformity. They must also be adjustablein all directions. The number of impact plates'may be varied as desired.

We claim: 1. A display device for show window comprising means for dropping balls in rapid sequence onto an impact plate whereby to cause a series of said balls to pass "through the field of vision of the spectator in such rapid sequence as to-exceed the power of dissolution of the human eye, whereby the balls will appear in ordinary light as an uninterrupted band, and means for stroboscopically illuminating said balls to modify the appearance of said band.

2. A display device according to claim 1 in which an automatic variable timing device is connected to the stroboscopic meansto afford a series of varying effects 'inaccordance with-a predetermined program.

3. A display device for show window comprising means for dropping balls in rapid sequence onto an impact plate whereby to cause a series of said balls to pass through 'thefield of vision of a spectator in such rapid sequence as to exceed the power of dissolution of the human eye .so that the balls will appear in ordinary light as an unin- .terrupted band, means for stroboscopically illuminating said balls, and means for varying the stroboscopic frequency whereby various effects may be obtained in desired sequence.

4. A display device for show window comprising means for dropping balls in rapid sequence onto an impact plate whereby to cause a series of said balls to pass through the field of vision of a spectator in such rapid within said fieldand at a speed synchronized with that of the balls so as to intersect the said path without colliding with the balls.

5. A display device according to claim 4, wherein the impact plate is adjustable in all directions, and wherein alsoythe impact-surface 'of the plate is of concave shape.

6. A display device according to claim 4, wherein the means for dropping the balls includes an elevated container and wherein a transport band is provided to return the balls after they have passed through the field of vision to said container, said band supplying a surplus of balls to said container over those dropped.

7. A display device for show window comprising means for dropping balls in rapid sequence onto an impact plate whereby to cause a series of said balls to pass through the field of vision of a spectator-in such rapid sequence as to exceed the power of dissolution of the human eye, whereby the balls will appear in ordinary light as an uninterrupted band, a ring interposed in the path of the balls, and means for rotating the ring about the diameter thereof at a speed synchronized with the balls so as to intersect the said path without colliding with theballs.

8. A display device according to claim 7, wherein the ring is luminous.

9. A display device for show window comprising means for dropping balls in sequence onto an impact plate, whereby to cause a series of said balls to pass through the field of vision of a spectator at such distance from each other that they can be followed by the eye in normal light, an annular member comprising a plurality of spherical lunes interposed in the path of the balls, and means for rotating the said members in synchronism with the movement of the balls at a speed at which the said member appears to the eye to comprise a complete sphere, whereby the balls will appear to pass through a solid sphere.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,274,979 Bliley Aug. 6, 1918 1,843,587 Wolin et a1. Feb. 2, 1932 2,102,807 Perks Dec. 21, 1937 2,703,874 Fruengel Mar. 1, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 803,519 Germany Apr. 5, 1951 

